Quarterfinals of the 2015-16 CCC Men’s Basketball Championship Kick Off Tonight
LA GRANDE, Ore. – The quarterfinals of the 2015-16 Cascade Collegiate Conference Men’s Basketball Championship presented by U.S. Bank, tips off tonight at college campuses around the conference with game times set for 7 p.m. local time.
No. 8 Northwest (12-18, 8-12 CCC) at No. 1 Northwest Christian (24-6, 17-3 CCC)
7 p.m. PST – Eugene, Ore.
Earning the regular season title, top seeded and 12th-ranked Northwest Christian will prepare to host eighth-seeded Northwest in the quarterfinals.
The Beacons finished with the third highest scoring offense (82.8), the second ranked defense (69.9) and the fourth best field goal percentage at 48 percent. NCU also ranked second in rebounding average, collecting 40.5 rebounds per game. Javonte Byrd has been their leading scorer with an average of 14.4 points per game.
For the Eagles, Michael Dupree and Dak Shagren have been their top scorers throughout the season with 18.2 and 16.9 points respectively. Northwest ranks second in the conference in steals and third in average three-pointers made per game at 9.9.
No. 7 Corban (16-12, 10-10 CCC) at No. 2 Southern Oregon (23-7, 16-4 CCC)
7 p.m. PST – Ashland, Ore.
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th-ranked Southern Oregon finished tied with Warner Pacific but held the tiebreaker, giving the Raiders the second seed in the tournament and home game against seventh-seeded Corban.
Southern was the top passing team this year with a total of 589 assists, an average of 19.6 assists per game. SOU ranks fourth in the conference in defense, allowing 75.7 points per game and ranks second in blocks with 119.
The Warriors were the second best shooting team this year with a field goal percentage of 50.7 percent and held the third best rebounding margin at +5.8. Guard A.J. Monterossi finished sixth in scoring with an average of 18.5 points, finishing just ahead of teammate Cyrus Ward at 18.4 ppg.
No. 6 Eastern Oregon (15-15, 10-10 CCC) at No. 3 Warner Pacific (21-8, 16-4 CCC)
7 p.m. PST – Portland, Ore.
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th-ranked Warner Pacific comes into the tournament as the third seed as they prepare to host sixth-seeded Eastern Oregon.
The Knights recorded the highest scoring offense in the conference with 88.9 points per game. Warner averaged the largest margin of victory, winning by an average of 15.6 points while shooting the highest percentage from the field at 51.4 percent.
Eastern finished just behind the Knights in scoring, averaging 83 points per game, while keeping their opponents to the lowest field goal percentage at .413. The Mountaineers averaged the most rebounds per game (45.1) and the most blocks per game at 5.6. EOU is led by Trell Washington who averaged the fifth most points in the conference at 19.1 ppg.
No. 5 Oregon Tech (22-8, 12-8 CCC) at No. 4 College of Idaho (17-12, 12-8 CCC)
7 p.m. MST – Caldwell, Idaho
College of Idaho claimed the final hosting spot in the quarterfinal round with the fourth seed as they welcome in fifth-seeded Oregon Tech.
The Yotes hold the third highest scoring player in the conference in Joey Nebeker (20.9) and rank second in the CCC in assists per games at 18.1, and first in steals per game at 9.9. C of I also averages the second most threes made per game at 11.3.
Oregon Tech will try to make head coach Danny Miles’ last season a memorable one as they make the long trip to Caldwell. The Owls claimed the top defense in the CCC, giving up only 69.5 points per game. OIT’s Lavar Moore finished fourth in scoring with 20 points per game, followed by Joel Yellow Owl with 16.8 ppg.
Wednesday's winners advance to the conference tournament semifinals on Saturday night at the campus sites of the top two remaining seeds.